Title: Just an Earthbound Misfit
Rating: R
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Word Count: 775
Warnings: spoilers for 5x06 I Believe the Children are Our Future and 5x10 Abandon All Hope
Summary: For the hc_bingo prompt wings (sudden onset) - Castiel's hiding in some dark, grimy alley in Orlando, and Dean really can't help but laugh when he catches sight of him.

+++

His face is still muffled in the pillow when Dean flips open his ringing phone and holds it to his ear. "Someone better be dying."

The awkward silence is all Dean needs to figure out who's calling him at - he turns his head to glare at the glowing red letters of the motel clock - quarter to four in the morning.

"Approximately one hundred and seven people die every minute," comes the stilted response that has Dean rolling his eyes as he turns to lie on his back.

"What do you want, Cas?" The resounding silence has Dean staring at the phone's screen to make sure the call didn't drop. Sam's awake now and staring at him worriedly, so Dean does his best to convey that he has no idea what the hell is going on but doesn't think it's that much of an emergency. "Hello?"

"I need your help," Castiel says. He adds where he is, and Sam and Dean are packed and heading out in the Impala within minutes.

+

Castiel's hiding in some dark, grimy alley in Orlando, and Dean really can't help but laugh when he catches sight of him. The look on Sam's face affirms that no, Dean is not hallucinating. "Dude, what the fuck?"

Castiel shrugs uncomfortably. "I found Jesse Turner."

"The Antichrist!?" Dean possibly deserves the way Sam slaps the back of his head at his... insensitivity or whatever.

"He decided that he wouldn't believe I'm really an angel without some... modifications."

It's only now that Dean allows himself to point out the obvious. "So the kid gave you wings. White, feathery wings." He pauses. "Can you fly?"

This time Dean has sense enough to step out of Sam's reach.

+

It's extremely awkward getting Castiel into the Impala with his new wingspan. He ends up lying down across the backseat, but Dean has to accept the fact that he can't see out the back as he navigates out of the city.

Sam's plan is that he alone should try to see if Jesse is still in the area and try to talk him into changing Castiel back to normal, so he gets dropped off at Disney World before Dean and Castiel find a place to hunker down.

Dean's been watching Castiel try to stand, sit, or lie down comfortably for the last hour without any success. At first it's better than television, but now he's just starting to feel sorry for the guy.

"Are they heavy?"

"My vessel's body was not made to support their weight."

"You could've just said yes," Dean mutters, contemplating the minibar since it's not like he's really going to pay off the credit card he'd used to get the room. "Well at least you won't have to deal with them for very long if Sam can't get the kid to undo what he did." The remark turns sour in his mouth as he remembers Jo and Ellen, how their sacrifices will mean nothing if they don't succeed in stopping the apocalypse.

He caves and opens the minibar, tossing some of the nips over to Castiel before gathering another handful for himself.

"These won't make me feel any different," Castiel says.

No, but I will, Dean thinks as he twists open the first drink, not even looking to see what it is.

+

Dean tries not to consider patterns when he doesn't have to. There's enough of them in the supernatural world that he doesn't need them in his own life too.

But it always, only happens when he drinks, this settling too close until they're overwhelming each other's senses, desperation on Dean's end and he doesn't know fucking what on Castiel's, but need is need is need.

All Dean can feel is Castiel against his back and nothingness along his front, and even still he's too afraid of flying to open his eyes and confirm that it's Castiel's wings holding them aloft.

The hand print branded onto his skin burns until he comes.

It's almost more of a relief to fall asleep on the sheets cooled by the air conditioning, the faint caress of feathers grazing his back.

+

When Dean wakes up, Sam's not back yet, but Castiel is standing up and watching him. His wings are gone.

"I have to go," he says, and in the blink of an eye, he's gone.

Dean gets dressed and turns on the TV, waiting for either the world to end or for Sam to get back, whichever happens first.

+

"So it worked?" Sam asks, staring at a map in the passenger seat.

"You're like the Freak Whisperer," Dean responds, even though it isn't really an answer.